Gift ideas for Father's Day

Father's Day 2008 might be the day of the gas and/or grocery gift card.

No bad ties, no grilling tools.

Just a full tank and a loaf of bread.

According to the National Retail Federation, consumers plan to spend an average of $94.54 on Father's Day gifts. Total spending is expected to reach $9.6 billion.

"When it comes to Dad, a simple greeting card and family dinner really go a long way," Tracy Mullin, NRF president and CEO, said in a statement. "Unfortunately, consumers are torn between their love for Dad and their need for gas this year."

That's why gift certificates and gift cards are high on the list, as well as a special outing, which might include brunch.

And dads certainly will be getting the gift of quality time -- whether that's downtime to read a new book or to enjoy a backyard barbecue.

A couple of books to consider are "Fathers & Sons & Sports" (ESPN, $24.95, 304 pages) by Mike Lupica and "The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport" (Knopf, $22, 224 pages) by Carl Hiaasen.

And 36.5 percent of those consumers surveyed said they'll probably opt for clothing for Dad.

That said, we found some options from Tommy Bahama. These certainly are considered splurges -- more than $100 -- but they might inspire ideas where you can mix and match price points.

For example, splurge on a messenger bag because you want it to last; spend less on the swim trunks because they're a seasonal item.

(Contact Leigh Grogan at lgrogan(at)sacbee.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)